The targets can be as small as two inches or so across, and competitors shoot at them from 50 meters (~164 feet) away. Think about running a mile as fast as possible, then standing in center field of a baseball stadium and trying to shoot a piece of fruit at home plate.

Being able to use a weapon accurately in the midst of long-distance exertion is a skill useful to soldiers (not hunters, as you might think — humans rarely run long distances as a hunting technique) and the original form of biathlon was called military patrol. It seems to have gotten started as an organized activity in the late 19th century in Russia and Scandinavia, where border guards often had to travel long distances to hunt down not only their fellow humans, but also reindeer who had turned to crime.

What's more, the U.S. team believes it's got an outside shot at winning its first-ever biathlon medal in Sochi. This tall drink of handsome is Tim Burke, who won a silver medal at the 2013 world championships.

So, if you like humans hunting each other — and judging by box office and book sales, we all clearly do — it's time to TAKE AIM (hahahahaha) at becoming a biathlon fan. Happy shootin'.